Enfield Athlete Sets Up Free Track Club For Youths

ENFIELD — Charles "Chucky" Demirgian spent much of his childhood in Hartford's projects, learning the ways of the streets.

As the son of a single mother and a child of racially mixed background, he felt the sting of prejudice for years.

He knew he was heading nowhere.

But, in seventh grade, he discovered running.

"I was a troublemaker. I was just hanging out, getting into fights," said Demirgian, now 24. "When I got to Enfield, I started changing that."

Now, Demirgian is trying to give other children the chance to feel like winners. He has started a track club for children 7 to 14, and the town parks and recreation department has decided to sponsor the club.

A veteran of the Persian Gulf war, Demirgian said he learned the importance of making the most of life from his experiences in combat, and he wants to share his new vision with children.

"I look at life as a little more precious," he said. "I try to live every day for today."

The seeds for the track club were sown in the back yard of Freshwater Pond Apartments on Thistle Lane, where Demirgian lives. One day, when some of his neighbors' children were visiting, he asked them if they wanted to run.

"A lot of them were just hanging out, swearing," he said. "I said `Let's get a track and field program going.' "

Soon, more children were flocking to his apartment, asking if he could time their races with his stopwatch. When he saw them in the back yard timing each other at 6 in the morning, he knew their interest in running was more than a passing fancy.

It was then that he decided to start the club. Now, practices are held Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9 to 11:30 at Asnuntuck Community College. Demirgian and other volunteer coaches help the children learn sprints, relays and hurdles. The program is free, Demirgian said, because "a lot of these kids can't afford to pay."

Demirgian plans to start a track program for younger children, and wants to get physically handicapped children involved in his programs, too.

Bill Davis, head of parks and recreation for the town, said even before Demirgian approached the town asking it to sponsor the program for 7 to 14-year-olds, officials noticed that children were interested in track because of the number of participants in a national track program.

"Charles came to us and said he was interested in starting a program," Davis said. "We had been looking for someone. We've always had that in the back of our minds."

This past weekend, the 21 children enrolled in the program played basketball at Asnuntuck as Demirgian stood at the center of the court, shouting words of encouragement. The children's parents looked on from benches and bleachers.

Kim Souer, mother of 8-year-old Jamie, said she is thrilled that Demirgian is spending so much time teaching children to compete in running.

"It keeps them motivated," Souer said. "Otherwise, they're bored."

Eight-year-old Joe Hicks said if he wasn't out running, he'd probably be playing Nintendo at home.

"While you race against fast people, you get faster. I beat everybody," Hicks said. "Chucky said I'm a good runner and a good hurdler."

Other children also said they love running and being in the club. They consider Chucky Demirgian a friend.